Christmas Day 08

Merry Christmas!!
I am cramming it all into one post!! We kept it pretty low key this year and it was very refreshing! We started off Christmas Eve Day with making sugar cookies. It was great fun! The girls had such a blast, I will let the pictures speak for themselves!
We went to a local Episcopal Church for Christmas Eve service with a pagent. It was great to experience a liturgical service like the ones i was used to growing up, and Annelise and Olivia were enthralled with the children acting out the story!! And Of course they were thrilled to wear their gorgeous christmas dresses that Daddy bought for them. Dont they look gorgeous! Julia's outfit was given to me by a postal worker when I was mailing our Chrisatmas cards! She had been watching for a baby girl Julia's size to give the outfit to, isnt that amazing! I love how the Lord provides for even the little things!!!

Daddy Fox posting here!

On Christmas Eve, after trying to get the girls to go to sleep forever. Annelise woke up about 11PM and said to Steph, "Mommy, the first thing I am going to do I when I wake up on Christmas morning, is run in to see... ( Steph just knew she was going to say 'what Santa brought me') if Baby Jesus is in the manger." That was refreshing! (Steph here: It was just what I needed cause I had a little pit in my stomach when Annelise spent so much time making sure the cookies and carrots were just right for Santa! Does anyone else feel this way! I mean Santa isn't real!! Jesus IS!!!)

Although we chose to produce a light Christmas this year, my mother and brother blew in to town with a car full of gifts, and bought the girls a trampoline!! Yes, so for the first time ever on Christmas Eve, I spent it outside in the cold and dark, other than the floodlight, putting together a trampoline, which by the way, had way WAY more steps and parts than the one we had growing up!In the morning, as tradition, we came to the tree in the front room that has the manger under it, the girls were very excited to see that baby Jesus had arrived. (we keep him hidden until Christmas morning) We read the Christmas Story, this year only once. Last year we read it 5 times before we got to the presents. Then they wanted to see if Santa put anything in their stockings.

Here are the girls discovering that the cookies had been eaten and the carrots are gone!!

Now I have to say on this note that we already told Annelise the Santa was a real person in history and he did give children toys and so on, but he died as all men do, and now people just pretend that he is real and give gifts in his name etc etc, but that the real story about Christmas is Jesus. Well, she decided that she would believe in Santa anyway! Funny.
So our main gift this year, a kitchen, we bought on craigslist. We actually already had a wood kitchen that we bought from our neighbors behind us at their garage sale. The girls wanted a plastic kitchen like the one they have at the church. So we sold the wooden kitchen on craigslist for more than we paid for it and bought this plastic one which is almost brand new on craigslist.

Well our big gift was trumped by the trampoline of course. We asked the girls if they wanted to take MeeMaw out to get the eggs from the chickens and she walked out and didn't even notice it at first until she had almost walked all the way past it. Then it was surprise, shock, awe, and lets play!!! Thanks Uncle J and MeeMaw for the trampoline. We love the gift of being active!

It turned out to be a great day. My ham was good, the pies were good, everything turned out well and it was a beautiful day, actually maybe even a little on the hot side. It was a great Christmas! Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year!!!!!!

A's Birthday... I know. I am late!!

Well, "A" is now 5 years old and I just can not believe it!! She is so big and has been so excited for her birthday to come AND she is thrilled that it is close to Christmas. She loves the story of Baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. She loves to be Mary with a baby in her tummy and to rock baby Jesus. She could play the nativity all day long. SO, she asked to have a Nativity Birthday! So our guests were invited to come dressed as their favorite Nativity Character. Of course sinse no boys were able to attend we had a bunch of Marys with their own baby Jesus's!

We read the christmas story which most of the girls knew by heart and I think they were frankly a little bored.

Kevin took the children on "donkey rides" in the wagon with a donkey head taped on!

Then we followed the star (little hints written on stars that led them thru the house and into the Kitchen) to the Baby Jesus cake.It was very low key and I was so glad! Although Annelise told me "Mommy, We never acted out the Nativity story!!" I told her it was 'cause we had all Mary's!

Annelise is my Beautiful, Intuitive, High Needs, High Empathy Daughter who I am so proud to parent! Happy Birthday My First Born!!!Thank you Lord for entrusting her to me!

My Little Busy Body

Well those of you who know our family know that Olivia is my little busy body. Once she was able to crawl I would find her all over the house. It was quite a shock to my system sinse Annelise was always attatched to my hip, and would cry outside the shower curtain for me until she was at least three... But Olivia has never lacked in the area of adventure! Once she was 16 months old she'd climb the playground equipment with the big kiddos. She has climbed to the top of our upright piano, to the top of our counter height table (naked no less, digging through my purse). She climbed up to the spice cabinet while dinner was simmering (AAK!! heart attack!) and a million other stories! And for the record, most of these things happened in the 2 minutes I was putting away laundry or going to the restroom; I do supervise my children!!! The thing is, she is as sweet as pie. She always says "no thank you" and "yes. please" and gives kisses for no reason. She throws fits, but what 2 year old doesn't? But the latest Olivia spree is wearing me out! She has started marking. Marking the door jams, the cement floor, the pretty sewing desk kevin bought for my sewing closet, tables, chairs. Spanking don't scare her. Timeouts are effective for the afternoon, but forgottent he next day. I guess she has my artistic streak! But her latest marking episode was too much! I wish I had taken a picture, but I was too dumbfounded! Yes folks, she marked the baby. There were scribble marks on the balnket all around her head and one strong green mark on top of Julia's pretty little head. I knew I had something to fear when she was hiding as I walked in... But I couldnt help but laugh! I mean come on!... the baby!!!

Happy Anniversary!!

Well today marks eight years of being married to the perfect man for me. He really is my best friend! I was so blessed to be involved at what was then Highland Baptist in Waco (now Antioch) and a part of Life Groups. It was life changing in so many ways, but that is for another post! But one of the best "things" I gained from life groups was a friend named Kevin. He was a "Big Man On Campus" and I was the "weird girl with the loud car"(his words!). We were friends, maybe I knew I was interested... until he said at a life group leader meeting that he felt like he was supposed to stay single and serve the Lord. We all gathered around to pray for him and our co-leader started praying for Kevin to be blessed with the sweetest wife... and on and on she went. While she prayed I had the thought so loud and clear that it would be me!! I didn't say a word. And he was so mad at our co leader for praying as she did!! WE love her!! (Thank you Meggan)

And now here we are!

We fight and we wonder how we ended up together... and we laugh and tease and laugh some more. We stay up late talking and giggling (maybe i do the giggling), and staring in wonder at our 3 beautiful children--how could they be so beautiful!!? And I am so thankful to have a best friend that I can trust to lead our family well and that I can support in whatever he does, and who thinks highly of my thoughts and views, as a partner next to me.

Happy anniversary honey!

I will try to have a clean house for you!

I love You!

Encouragement From A Stranger

Well I foolishly decided to go shopping today. I HAD to go to the grocery store for some forgotten items and sinse I had to venture out with all three girls, I thought I might as well make it a morning. SO we went to Ross. I have over $30 in gift card credit there, and both girls need shoes. Well they didn't have what we needed so I browsed the baby clothes. No luck there either, so then I went to look at the big girls shirts, sinse I am a very big girl right now and nothing fits...well I had a little luck. But the baby was in the sling and the girls were bored and acting up, so after 2 separate potty trips... to the line we went. By then it was full blown screaming from Julia, and the girls were playing tag at the check out! Not good. My voice was getting tighter each time I had to call the girls to "STAND BY THE CART!" I was on the course heading straight for blow up. Gone was my excitement in having found a shirt and a birthday gift for #1. The woman in front of me could obviously see the countdown in my brain, because she told me I could go ahead of her and then went on to tell me she had little ones and knows how hard it is to get out and about. I asked her how she managed to be out alone and she said well now I have older ones to help with the younger ones. I knew then she was probably 'mom to lots'. She went on to engage the girls in conversation while I checked out and I thanked her as I walked out the door. As I was sitting in the front seat nursing my baby feeling much calmer than I had been I saw her walk to one of those big vans that holds lots...she was a 'mom of lots'! And I thought, someday I will be the one to encourage a young mother with three children 4 and under. I will be the one to speak peace into an escalating situation. Hopefully, next time it will be me...And I said a little prayer that she would be refreshed this day. "... He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

And now just for fun:

Dress Up Fun

Dress up AND holding the baby

And finally aunt Lest getting a great smile...one after another!

Wish List

Just a note for family!
We added the wish list gadget to the side merely to let you know of some ideas for items we or the girls would enjoy. In no way are we asking for ALL the items listed!! Nor is this rude way of asking for things. We have put a wide range of priced items on the list and posted it because we have 3 birthdays and christmas coming up and we know you are always asking for ideas!
As I am cleaning out the toys and clothes as I do every time this year, I am dismayed at the amount of money spent on items that are now in the donate or resell pile because of lack of interest! My hope is in making this list that your gift will be less likely to end up in those piles next year!!
Let me know if you have any questions about what we have listed!
Love You!!

I chopped it off!!

So I had let my hair grow very long. I have alwas enjoyed changing my hair often but for the last 3 years at least I hadn't changed it a bit. I had grown rather fond of my super long hair. I felt kind of fairy tale-like...the princess with long flowing hair. sigh. But usually I didn't look like a princess; it was pulled back into a ponytail all the time. And on a whim one day I measured my ponytail: 14 inches!!

So when I saw an add on TV for a Locks of Love event in Killeen where celebrity stylist Ted Gibson would be cutting and styling for free, I thought:hmm! Now I wouldn't have known who the hec he was but I happened to watch an Oprah that he was on. So I called and made an appointment (Ted was already booked) I went in and cut off my pony tail! I got a great stylist who was a part of Ted's team on the Oprah Show. She was so great! I wish I had gotten a pic of the ponytail! I like it! And I'm going to save a ton on shampoo and conditioner!

Before

After

The Back

Halloween

Well this year for the second year we've had our church LifeGroup meet at our house for Halloween. We roast marshmallos and hand out treat bags with tracts inside. It is alot of fun! Its the only time the whole year when we see and visit with all our neighbors, and its loads of fun! Unfortunatly we didnt get many pictures of the whole event but we did get some of the girls. Olivia decided to take her costume off...oh...20 seconds after she had it on so no pics of her in her costume!

here is our adorable little pumpkin! Olivia with her pumpkin shirt and new crooked smile that she does ALL the time!

Annelise as a beautiful princess! We borrowed this dress from a neighbor and Annelise added the veil herself!
This was our first year carving pumpkins and the girls had a blast! (Kevin did all the work!)

Fox Family Girls

Well my good friend Sarah did it again! She took some beautiful pictures for me to give Kevin as his birthday present. I know there is a ton, but I love them all! It was hard to pick which ones to post! The last picture is the one I gave kevin in a frame for his birthday.

Enjoy!

Baby Fox Is Here!!!

Julia Christine Fox
8lbs 10oz, 19 in long
Sunday September 7th, 6:37 in the evening

So today Julia has been with us for 2 weeks so I figured it was about time I announced it on the blog!!!
WARNING!! Birth Story Ahead! Don't read further if you don't want details!!!

I woke up early the 7th with cramping but was afraid to think it was labor cause I wanted it to be so badly. The weather had been so pleasant in the mornings, cool and breezy, and I had been thinking it was perfect baby having weather, but you know how we second guess ourselves...

So by 6:30 I was pretty sure it was the real deal so I called my parents since they have the farthest to drive and then called the midwife so she'd have a heads up and told her I'd keep her posted. Then I tried to just wake up Kevin and tell him "We are having a baby today!", but Annelise apparently has super hearing even in her sleep cause she was up in an instant! We all tumbled out of bed and put on our clothes and I started walking the street outside our house to try and get those contractions really working! Annelise swung and watched me, calling me every time I went too far. Soon Olivia was awake and my walk turned into a mini parade: Me waddling along, Annelise and Olivia skipping along side, and Kevin with watch in hand, timing contractions. I'm sure the neighbors were curious!

I went in for a shower and Kevin started making calls, or really I think he did more texting! The contractions became awfully close together during my shower so I told Kevin he'd better tell Laurie (our midwife) to go ahead and come.

Meanwhile I kept walking around. When Laurie arrived I was already 6 cm dilated! YAY! So I felt very accomplished! But then I started getting very sleepy so I decided I needed a nap. Now with Olivia I took a nap and woke up ready to push, so I had the mistaken idea that it would be the same for this birth. It wasn't.

I was at 8 cm for a long time. Turns out little Julia was posterior which means she was heading out face up instead of face down. This is not comfortable, nor is it the easy route. Julia knew this, as she is so smart, and was trying to turn before she descended into the birth canal. So now she is kinda sideways and I'm having serious discomfort! Not only am I having serious discomfort, I am unbelievably emotional during this labor. Crying, crying, crying. Feeling so unsure of becoming a mommy of three...Kevin was so reassuring and Deb was too. We had a pow wow in the bathroom while I was laboring and they prayed for me! Anyway, eventually Laurie decided to turn the baby during my contractions. I have never wanted to quit during labor: you know women say that, but I never had that feeling, until then. Then I wanted to quit!!

I begged Laurie to stop. So she gave me a break and watched my progress during labor and decided that I could push this baby out posterior. She told me I could do it. So I believed her and steeled myself for a long road ahead because I had read and heard that posterior labors last a long time. So I pushed to get rid of the cervix and went from and 8 to 10 in three contractions. So then the work of getting the baby out began, but I kinda didn't realize that till I felt the tell tale burning sensation! It was so quick! I was so glad.

Laurie helped me push her out so gently, that is what I'm most proud of when I watch the video: my control at pushing her out. Of course having Laurie in my face encouraging me totally made it possible! So Julia decided she would turn as I pushed her out, so she came out the right way after all, only with her fist on her head. Which would explain why in the video I look like I am trying to stand up and leave during the crowning!! LOL

Then she was out and in my lap and just looked so big and chunky to me. She has dark hair just like my other two but she didn't have the long swatch of hair on top like my other two did so since I couldn't get to the cord to move it (they were messing with the IV in my hand) I just knew that meant it was a boy! Funny how our mind works! But Kevin took a look and announced that we were blessed with another girl. YAY!! Three girls!!

Then they were caring for me while I tried to get her to latch on. I've had an issue with each previous birth of bleeding a little too excessively so because I went into this pregnancy already anemic they were wanting to be sure that was not an issue. So thanks to answered prayer and fabulous midwives I had no issue with bleeding this birth!!

Soon we were all settled in and Papa brought the girls back from McDonald's to see their new sister. It was wonderful. I was so glad to have my mom and Sandy and Deb there. There is something really amazing about being supported in labor by women that you know love you. And of course Kevin was the best birthing partner ever. I use the word partner rather than coach because he is much more of a partner. We are really good together, and he knows just what to do and say. So yes this was the most difficult labor I have experienced, but I would never trade it, 'cause there is just something about having my baby at home with my family and my midwife who I now call a friend... and being able to say I DID THAT!!! There is nothing like it!

So now what you really want: pictures!

Our new little family of Five!!

Laurie getting ready to weigh my little chunky monkey!

The girls each getting a turn to hold the baby and kiss her goodnight!

Baby on the Way!!

I just washed all the diapers!

I am so proud because many of these will be on their third rotation and when I unpacked them, I discovered the elastic was shot in most of them. I thought "Oh no, we will need new diapers and we can't afford them really..."

But then, and this is why I am proud, I figured out a way to revamp them a different way so I could replace the elastic!! Yay!!! --Hopefully they will all be just as leak proof as they were for previous babies!

So here is a fun picture of them all hanging on the line. Today was the perfect day, sunny (and of course hot) but windy too, so they won't be too stiff for my sweet new baby to be!

Homeschooling???

I am posting a link to another blog.
It is an essay written by a 9th grader who had been homeschooled in the "unschooled" tradition...(hmm is that an odd combination of words or what)....but what I think is interesting is his perspective on the public school after attending 9th grade. Just thought those of you who were intested in homeschooling or who wondered at our thoughts in planning to do so, would find this interesting! It is not written from a christian perspective, just from an educational standpoint.
I would love your comments/thoughts!!
http://fivefreebirds.blogspot.com/2008/07/unschool-v-school.html

Oiling Can

Today is Kevin's first day with students.

He is a music teacher and sees all the students: Pre-K trough 5th grade. Which means each day is 6 different lesson plans and six different classes and the next day brings the other half so six more classes. Unfortunately, last year was very difficult, with some classes ruining it for the others and none of those kiddos moved! :) So they are back. And Kevin knows the Lord has him here. He was ready to leave but did not feel a release from the Lord to do so. So he knows it is the Lord work to be there, but its still hard!!!

Some Men from church were encouraging him yesterday as we were leaving church and kinda joking around with him about starting school. These men both had previously taught in the district Kevin teaches in. But anyway, one of them said (when Kevin joked that they could pray for him again) that he was the tin man that needed oiling every 5 minutes. I smiled at him and nodded my head, and he looked at me and said, "You're the oiling can!" He was still joking around and was pretending to console Kevin when he came home form work. But man, that stuck with me!

So I decided that I would make an effort this year to be his oil can. Not that I didn't pray for him before, but the tin man needs oiling every 5 minutes! So no, I didn't pray every 5 minutes, but the Lord graciously brought him to mind through out this morning and afternoon and I would just stop and pray real quick or sometimes not so quick.

I share this not to brag because, I promise there will be days when I'm sure I will not be a good oiling can, but I share this because I thought it was such a good word and good visual, at least for me. So for all of us that have friends, spouses or children that are facing a difficult day or days, we just need to think of them as the tin man, and ourselves as the oiling can!!

Haircuts and Harvest

Well I have been wanting to cut Annelise's hair for a while...she looks so cute with a bob! But she wanted to grow it long 'like mommy's' and how can I argue with that!!!

Well lucky for me she got gum in her hair and being as hairbrusshing is the torture of choice in our household, she was begging me to cut it out...so I said we will have to make it all match!!!! And we did. The tragic part to this story is that Olivia wanted hers cut too. If I were the one weilding the scissors I would have just trimmed it. But sinse I am unable to cut hair in a straight line, Kevin is the master haircutter, and he did exactly as Olivia wished. Of course she looks adorable but she was the one that let me do her hair! Waah! I wanted to cry but I'm already over it!

We harvested all the lima beans and the girls helped us empty the pods. We laughed at our "abundant" harvest, especially sinse you can buy a bag for .55 cents. But the girls had a ball!